Category: Movie Review

Movie Review

Michael Vick An American Tale Of The Rise Of A Imperfect Legend

By Vernon Nickerson America has the highest expectations for the uber- talented athlete, the high-performing iconoclasts and innovators who literally often change the way a particular sport is played. When performing at their peak, theses athletes are in equal parts feared, respected and held in awe by fans. Whether or not it is fair, these expectations of perfection carry over into every aspect of the … Continue reading Michael Vick An American Tale Of The Rise Of A Imperfect Legend

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Movie Review

“Ask No Questions” A blown Away Look at Controlled Media

By Sanyukta Thakare Ask No Questions takes a serious look at the power of media under the control of an authoritarian figure like the government. By following the story of a Chen Ruichang who refused to give up his belief, the film also reminds us the truth will prevail, one way or other. What’s shocking is, this story wasn’t that far back. It was within the decade’s … Continue reading “Ask No Questions” A blown Away Look at Controlled Media

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Movie Review

Terry Sawchuk Did Not Regret A Minute Of His Life, He Lived And Died A Goalie

Goalie blurs the line between real and reel from the start, we get to see the best and the worst of Terry Sawchuk’s life as it passes by in the memories of those who lived and played with him. Terry had a troubled pasted, but nobody knew how it affected him until after the end. ‘Goalies go first,’ we hear the cast say it numerous … Continue reading Terry Sawchuk Did Not Regret A Minute Of His Life, He Lived And Died A Goalie

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Movie Review

Sanzaru, Warns You Against The Power Of Secrets

By Sanyukta Thakare SANZARU is a Gothic tale, a journey to the heart of a haunted house. A house haunted, as much by death, as by secrets.   Sanzaru does not belong in your immediate ideas of horror, there are no creepy faces or bodies lurking in the dark. Instead, we meet the demons of our minds and our pasts. The only way out is … Continue reading Sanzaru, Warns You Against The Power Of Secrets

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Arts, Movie Review

Aaron With’s Out Of Tune Will Premiere At The 2020 Slamdance Film Festival

By Steven Buckner When I first saw Director Aaron With’s Out Of Tune, I have to admit that I never saw a movie like this and that is a good thing. It is a story about a civilization that worships a musical chord. One might think how can a civilization worship a musical chord. Well that is why you need to see this movie! Between … Continue reading Aaron With’s Out Of Tune Will Premiere At The 2020 Slamdance Film Festival

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Movie Review

Murmur: A Glorious Summer in the Winter of Our Discontent

By Vernon Nickerson Murmur, a film written and directed by Heather Young, making its debut at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival, takes an intimate look at the intersections between 1. a lonely and heartsick mother who longs to love and be loved in return, 2. the substances the mother has used to numb her pain, 3. a lonely and heartsick dog who desperately wants tender … Continue reading Murmur: A Glorious Summer in the Winter of Our Discontent

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Movie Review

La Restauración A Tale Of Damnation And Redemption

By Monteque Pope-Le Beau Director Alonso Llosa’s tragicomedy La Restauración will have its World Premiere at the 2020 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. La Restauración is a poignant cautionary tale about excess, greed, disillusionment and elitism. The story takes place in a period of rapid urban growth in Peru when money is flowing freely allowing those who were once unable to graduate to the elite … Continue reading La Restauración A Tale Of Damnation And Redemption

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Movie Review

2020 Sundance Film Festival Review Of “LITTLE CHIEF”- A Poignant Winter’s Tale

By Vernon Nickerson Ouch! That’s what many black preachers jokingly tell their congregants to shout when the sermon is directly applicable to their lives. i.e., stepping on their toes. As a second-year special education teacher at an inner-city Title 1 school, “Ouch!” was my immediate reaction to Erica Tremblay’s visually powerful short, “Little Chief”, from the first minute until the last. In too many classrooms … Continue reading 2020 Sundance Film Festival Review Of “LITTLE CHIEF”- A Poignant Winter’s Tale

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Movie Review

LIMERENCE- Found or Lost? You Decide

    By: Vernon Nickerson, How I Found Limerence, the fun film   In the midst of a winter of interminable international crises and drama give yourself a break and go see Limerence, a Slamdance Festival feature film and the brainchild of Writer/Director/Producer/Lead Actor Tammy Minoff, The film begins by defining itself in its opening title: LIMERENCE (noun.) a state of mind which results from … Continue reading LIMERENCE- Found or Lost? You Decide

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Arts, Movie Review

All Aboard for Shoot to Marry, Steve Markle’s 21st Century ‘Love Train’

By Vernon Nickerson “Love is beautiful and painful…what else is there?” Thankfully, there is also Shoot to Marry, a 2020 Slamdance Film Festival selection. Written, produced, and directed by documentarian Steve Markle, Shoot to Marry is a quirky video memoir of one man’s journey (Markle) in search of a life partner.  From a home base in Toronto, Steve introduces the audience to an array of … Continue reading All Aboard for Shoot to Marry, Steve Markle’s 21st Century ‘Love Train’

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Arts, Movie Review

Nino Aldi’s “TRIBES” World Premiere At The 2020 Santa Barbara Film Festival

TRIBES, or, what humankind might accomplish if it only had eleven minutes in a speeding subway car!   By Vernon Nickerson, TRIBES, directed by the incredibly talented Nino Aldi, is an absolute gem of an emotional roller coaster and a featured short at the 2020 Santa Barbara Film Festival. Full-disclosure, toy guns particularly and toy weapons of any kind in general were forbidden in my … Continue reading Nino Aldi’s “TRIBES” World Premiere At The 2020 Santa Barbara Film Festival

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Cultural Arts, Movie Review

Carl Leammle Man Of Vision, Giver Of Opportunities And Life

By: Brian Sebastian and Monteque Pope-Le Beau The documentary “Carl Leammle” is an extraordinary study of a man who was the original father of independent film, the creator of the star system and who would go on to lay the groundwork for Universal Studios. Anything is possible. Carl Leammle Director James L. Friedman’s superb documentary “Carl Leammle” showcases the adventurous rebellious spirit and endearing love … Continue reading Carl Leammle Man Of Vision, Giver Of Opportunities And Life

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Movie Review

“The Rebound” Rolls With The Punches Of Life

By William Engel “The Rebound” takes us through the lives of the Miami Heat Wheels, a wheelchair basketball team on the verge of going to the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) National Tournament. The film delves into the genesis of the league, the personal lives of several of the teammates, and what they have to go through in order to qualify for the nationals. What … Continue reading “The Rebound” Rolls With The Punches Of Life

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Movie Review

“Letter from Masanjia” Shows an Inexorable Resolve In The Face Of Adversity

By William Engel “Letter from Masanjia” tells the story of Sun Yi, a Chinese man who spent years detained in a prison camp for taking part in Falun Gong, a spiritual practice outlawed by the Chinese government. In the camp, he and the other detainees were forced to make cheap products to export to the United States. It was here that Sun Yi spied an … Continue reading “Letter from Masanjia” Shows an Inexorable Resolve In The Face Of Adversity

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Movie Review

“Surviving Home” A Fascinating Look at What It Means To Be A Veteran

By William Engel “Surviving Home” takes us through the lives of four different veterans, each of whom fought in a different war – Richard Green, a World War II veteran, Claude Thomas, a Vietnam war veteran, Robert “Bobby” Henline, a Gulf War veteran, and Tracey Cooper Harris, an Iraq War veteran. The film alternates between the four veterans’ lives, demonstrating the struggles that each of … Continue reading “Surviving Home” A Fascinating Look at What It Means To Be A Veteran

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Movie Review, Social Issues

The Documentary “Whale” Takes A Comprehensive Look At A cornerstone Of Tradition Of The Japanese Village Taij

By William Engel The year 2009 saw the release of “The Cove”, a harrowing documentary about the Japanese village of Taiji and their barbaric practice of ritualistic whaling. Nearly ten years later, “A Whale of a Tale” strives to set the record straight. “A Whale of a Tale” documents the journey of Jay Alabaster, an intrepid journalist sent to Taiji to take a more comprehensive … Continue reading The Documentary “Whale” Takes A Comprehensive Look At A cornerstone Of Tradition Of The Japanese Village Taij

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Movie Review

“3 Years in Pakistan: The Erik Audé Story” Is An Pulse Pounding Suspense Thriller Documentary

  By William Engel “3 Years in Pakistan: The Erik Audé Story” documents the story of a Hollywood stuntman who got roped into a drug smuggling operation in Pakistan, leading to him being placed on death row for a crime he wasn’t responsible for. We’re taken though his desperate struggle to survive and prove his innocence to a court who seems determined to find him … Continue reading “3 Years in Pakistan: The Erik Audé Story” Is An Pulse Pounding Suspense Thriller Documentary

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Movie Review

The Documentary “Virgin Blacktop: A New York Skate Odyssey” Is A Chronicle Of Passion, Life And Skateboarding

  By William Engel “Virgin Blacktop: A New York Skate Odyssey” is a documentary chronicling the genesis, peak and dissolution of The Wizards, a team of nine New York teenagers united by their passion for skateboarding. The film is comprised of footage, news articles and stories spanning more than thirty years, compiled by Charlie Samuels, one of the Wizards’ most prominent members. The film has … Continue reading The Documentary “Virgin Blacktop: A New York Skate Odyssey” Is A Chronicle Of Passion, Life And Skateboarding

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Movie Review

Caught Between Two Identities The Documentary “Transformer” Tries To Find The Balance

By William Engel “Transformer” is a documentary following the life of Janae Kroczaleski (née Matt), a world champion weightlifter and bodybuilder who came out as a trans woman in 2015. The film chronicles her life leading up to that point, and her trials and tribulations as a person in the process of transitioning, caught between her two identities. (“I’m not comfortable as an extremely muscular … Continue reading Caught Between Two Identities The Documentary “Transformer” Tries To Find The Balance

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Movie Review

“To a More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor” A Documentary About Love And Perseverance In A Age Of Intolerance

By William Engel “To a More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor” is an hour-long documentary telling the life story of Edith Windsor, the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, allowing same-sex unions to receive the same protections as heterosexual unions under federal law. The film takes us through Edith’s life story, as she moves to New … Continue reading “To a More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor” A Documentary About Love And Perseverance In A Age Of Intolerance

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